Police now say the collision happened when a street racing enforcement officer was attempting to stop a speeding vehicle but then slammed into two other cars at the intersection of Balboa and Burbank boulevards.
The video in the player above is from an earlier report on this incident.
The crash was reported at 7:44 p.m. Tuesday. Police say an officer with the Street Racing Task Force Unit heard a car with a loud exhaust that was speeding southbound on Balboa.
The officer started to drive after the vehicle to make a traffic stop, although it had already gained some distance.
Another vehicle, a Toyota Camry, was heading north on Balboa and went to make a left turn onto Burbank at the same time the officer reached the intersection.
The LAPD SUV slammed into the Toyota, sending it careening onto the sidewalk and wedging it between a light pole and a concrete wall. A third vehicle, a Chevy Camaro that was stopped on Burbank, was also struck in the collision.
Firefighters had to extricate two people from the Toyota and they were brought to the hospital in critical condition. An update on their status was not immediately available Wednesday.
The officer was brought to a hospital to be treated for minor injuries. The police SUV sustained heavy damage to its front end. The Camaro was damaged but the driver did not sustain serious injuries.
An investigation into the incident is continuing.